Republican senators revolt over coronavirus proposal

Senate Republicans are deeply divided over their own coronavirus package, underscoring the uphill challenge for the party as they hunt for leverage in talks on the fifth stimulus bill.

GOP leadership and the White House unveiled their own approximately $1 trillion bill this week, in what was supposed to represent a unified negotiating stance by the administration and Senate Republicans as they start talks with House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden may find zero GOP support for jobs plan Gaetz showed lawmakers nude photos of women he claimed to have slept with: report On The Money: White House hopes to see infrastructure bill passed by summer | Biden under pressure from all sides over scope, tax hikes MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerIntercept bureau chief on Democrats' efforts on minimum wage: 'Might as well go for it' Schumer kicks into reelection mode The disgrace that was the Biden press conference MORE (D-N.Y.)

But just a day later, several GOP senators are trashing their own party’s proposal, which they expect will only get worse during talks with Democrats, and predicting mass defections on the final coronavirus bill. 

“It’s a mess. I can’t figure out what this bill’s about,” said Sen. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyBiden to let Trump-era visa restrictions expire The Hill's Morning Report - Biden shifts on filibuster Top general: Afghan forces need US troops to fight Taliban MORE (R-Mo.). “They’re going to go negotiate with Pelosi. We have no idea what the final bill will be, and we’ll be the last to know.”

Sen. John KennedyJohn Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) added that among Republicans “we have unity in disagreement.” Meanwhile, Sen. Ben SasseBen SasseMaine GOP rejects motion to censure Collins Senators urge Energy chief to prioritize cybersecurity amid growing threats Biden warns GOP he could back gutting filibuster MORE (R-Neb.) said the negotiations were taking place between “two big government Democrats,” Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven MnuchinDemocrats justified in filibustering GOP, says Schumer Yellen provides signature for paper currency Biden's name will not appear on stimulus checks, White House says MORE and Pelosi. 

“This proposal is not targeted to fix precise problems — it’s about Democrats and Trumpers competing to outspend each other,” Sasse said.

Republicans say it's basically guaranteed there will be GOP defections on the fifth relief bill. Two GOP chairmen predicted that roughly half of the 53-member caucus could ultimately vote "no."

“You can see a bunch of people already pushing back that we haven't spent phase three yet and concerns about the deficit,” said Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamGraham cites Hurricane Katrina as reason to own AR-15 Hunter Biden blasts Trump in new book: 'A vile man with a vile mission' Congress looks to rein in Biden's war powers MORE (R-S.C.), a close ally of President TrumpDonald TrumpThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden may find zero GOP support for jobs plan Republicans don't think Biden really wants to work with them The biggest campaign issue of 2022? MORE’s. “If Mitch [McConnell] can get half the conference, that'd be quite an accomplishment.”

Sen. Roy BluntRoy Dean BluntTrump pollster: Greitens leads big in Missouri GOP Senate primary Juan Williams: The GOP's big lie on voting rights Conservative think tank comes out in support of taxing stock trade MORE (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, added that “the previous COVID bills have passed almost unanimously, and I think that’s the exception rather than the rule.” 

Significant Republican opposition would mark a U-turn from March’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus bill that passed the Senate in a 96-0 vote. Other coronavirus bills have passed with only a handful of "no" votes. 

Sen. John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneSchumer kicks into reelection mode The Hill's Morning Report - Biden shifts on filibuster Biden allies eye two-step strategy on infrastructure MORE (S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator, said it was too soon to know how much GOP opposition there would be but that it wouldn’t be unanimous support. 

“I don’t think we know where our members are yet. I mean, it’s early on in a process that is probably going to take a while to fully conclude,” Thune said. “We’re not going to be able to write a bill that we get every Republican on, we know that.” 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRepublicans don't think Biden really wants to work with them On The Money: White House hopes to see infrastructure bill passed by summer | Biden under pressure from all sides over scope, tax hikes White House hopes to see infrastructure bill passed by summer MORE (R-Ky.) said Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark MeadowsMark MeadowsA year with the coronavirus: How we got here Trump attacks Karl Rove: 'A pompous fool with bad advice' How scientists saved Trump's FDA from politics MORE would take the lead in the talks but acknowledged that GOP senators were divided. 

“I think it’s a statement of the obvious that I have members who are all over the lot on this,” McConnell said. “This is a complicated problem. We’ve done the best we can to develop a consensus among the broadest number of Republican senators.” 

Republicans raised concerns during a closed-door GOP lunch about the price tag of the coronavirus deal growing. Republicans stuck to their goal of a $1 trillion top line, but GOP senators are worried that it will tick upward as Mnuchin and Meadows negotiate with Democrats. 

“There’s a lot of discussion, expressed concern, that we stick to the lower number of a trillion rather than start talking already about where we might land. ... Too much drift to the left, you lose more Republicans and pretty soon you’ve put the whole process in the hands of the Democrats,” said Sen. Kevin CramerKevin John CramerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Obama marine monument designation | Interior reverses course on tribal ownership of portion of Missouri river | White House climate adviser meets with oil and gas companies Senate GOP pushes back on list of participants in oil and gas leasing forum Small cities fret over feds redefining metro areas MORE (R-N.D.). 

Graham added that “people [are] worried about the top-line number” and “the amount to be spent is a concern.” 

GOP senators are publicly pouring cold water on either key provisions or the plan altogether, which came together during weeks of closed-door negotiations.

“I have problems with a number of provisions. I’ll wait and see what the final product looks like, but I’m pretty skeptical about the way it seems to be shaping up,” said Sen. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeySasse rebuked by Nebraska Republican Party over impeachment vote Philly GOP commissioner on censures: 'I would suggest they censure Republican elected officials who are lying' Toomey censured by several Pennsylvania county GOP committees over impeachment vote MORE (R-Pa.). 

Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzOcasio-Cortez to Cruz: Your resignation is 84 days past due Diversity chief at US Special Operations Command reassigned during probe into social media posts 44 percent say gun violence is related to easy access to firearms: poll MORE (R-Texas) said that he was “very much” concerned and there was “vigorous discussion” and “sharp disagreement” among Republicans. Meanwhile, Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulMarjorie Taylor Greene offers bills to fire Fauci, ban vaccine passports The Hill's Morning Report - Biden shifts on filibuster On The Money: Social Security gives IRS data for COVID-19 relief checks | Senate passes bill heading off Medicare cuts MORE (R-Ky.) accused his colleagues of caring about election chances than the country’s fiscal health. 

“This was the big spending, big government meeting,” Paul said. “They’re bragging about how they’re going to spend more money than the Democrats.” 

Sen. Mike BraunMichael BraunA number of Republican lawmakers are saying no to COVID-19 vaccines GOP goes on the attack against Biden relief bill Amazon removing books that frame LGBTQ issues as mental illness MORE (R-Ind.) said he was “unlikely” to support the final agreement, adding, “I think the price tag is going to be a deal breaker for many of us regardless of the content.” 

With coronavirus cases climbing across the country, and a slew of bad poll numbers coming out for Trump and Republicans in critical Senate races, Democrats believe they have leverage to drive the talks closer to their top line of roughly $3 trillion. 

“We have the leverage of the American people,” said Sen. Dick DurbinDick DurbinGrassley, Cornyn push for Senate border hearing Bloomberg, former RNC chair Steele back Biden pick for civil rights division 21 Senate Democrats press Biden to include recurring direct payments in infrastructure plan MORE (D-Ill.). “I think Republicans are reading the polls. The president is slumping, their Republican Senate candidates are slumping in the polls. They have to show something.” 

The divisions aren’t just between Senate Republicans but also GOP senators and the White House.

GOP senators are critical of the decision to include $1.75 billion for the construction of a new FBI headquarters, saying it has nothing to do with combating the coronavirus. And McConnell and Thune both say they want the funding out of a final agreement. 

Trump, during a White House press conference on Tuesday, called the GOP proposal “sort of semi-irrelevant.” Asked if there were parts he opposed he said “yeah, there are.”

Meadows and Mnuchin are both floating the idea of doing a pared-down coronavirus bill if negotiators aren’t able to get a deal quickly. Under that plan, Congress would pass a package that includes unemployment insurance, school funding and liability protections, and then continue to negotiate on other pieces like stimulus checks, state and local aid and money for testing. 

But Sen. John CornynJohn CornynGrassley, Cornyn push for Senate border hearing OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Biden can't picture troops in Afghanistan next year | Top general says US needed in Taliban fight | Trump Somalia withdrawal comes with downsides Senate panel deadlocks over Vanita Gupta amid GOP opposition MORE (R-Texas) said while people have floated it, "I don't hear any support for that."

When a reporter noted that Meadows and Mnuchin seem interested, he added that those are “people who are not in Congress.”

The inability to sync up played out in real time this week. Mnuchin and Meadows, after talking to Schumer and Pelosi, walked over to McConnell’s office. 

Surrounded by their detail and a gaggle of reporters, they knocked on the front door to his main office. No one answered. As they knocked again, a reporter asked if they had a meeting with the GOP leader or his staff. 

“We were just going to give the leader an update if he’s here,” Meadows told reporters, adding that it was an impromptu drop-by. 

McConnell, a staffer later clarified, had already left the building.